8.24.2009

So here I am, having a lovely Saturday afternoon painting some dainty little tea party plates.

Jon gets home. Little A: "Dad! Mom made you a plate!". No sooner do I turn around when I see this mischievousness going on.I see pennants. Apparently my boys see something entirely different. Something along the lines of scary, sharp teeth...

Guess I'll have to do a customized set just for my little monsters.

*addendum: Jon drew the face and put it together initially. When I went to photograph the before and after Little A refused to let me take the eyes and nose off and kept putting them back on...so I caught him in the act. And yes, that is a chocolate smear on his arm.

**If you are wanting to make your own custom plates, I used black Ceramcoat paint (instructions on bottle). The plates I found at a local thrift store (they only had two).

8.20.2009

So I thought it might be nice to get you all that travel desk tutorial I promised you before the summer was over. Maybe you can squeeze in some sewing time right before your last road trip of the summer. This might seem pretty extensive but I promise that it's easier than it looks! My sewing skills/vocabulary/etc. are still novice so I apologize if some of the steps don't make sense. Hopefully the pictures will help.

1. Start with a board (any size you like). I used masonite but if you are intending to use this in the car it might be a better idea to go with a thick cardboard of sorts, or something softer than masonite, for safety reasons.2. Measure the fabric so that when folded there is just enough room on the top and bottom of the board for seam allowance. Leave as much room on the sides as you like for folding over pockets.3. Make loops for pocket closures (you can use bias tape or ribbon if you like) and sew them on the inside of the folded fabric.4. You'll laugh but I can't remember what 4 is for. I say just ignore it.5. Sew around fabric leaving opening for turning.6. Turn fabric inside out.7. Baste or mark area where board will be. Sew handle on to whichever side you want the top to be (you can also do this earlier like the loops in step three). I just realized that my drawing has the handles in different spots but I'm too lazy to fix it. Just play around and put it where you want it.8&9. Sew on pockets (turning and sewing edges under ahead of time). I used large coat size zippers and sewed them straight onto the pocket fabric. You can also add a pencil pocket to the side.10. Sew on pocket for board leaving opening for board to slide in and out.

11. Hand embroider initial to lower right corner (or wherever you like).12. Fold up pockets and sew shut.13. Sew buttons on for loops to close.14. Sew pillow pocket. You can make this as deep or as shallow as you like. Sew sides at an angle.15. Turn inside out.16. Sew pillow pocket onto desk leaving opening for stuffing. Stuff pillow. Sew closed.17. Insert board. You are done now ready to use your new desk!

*I also keep coloring and activity books under the board for storage. You can also add a metal sheet on top of the board for magnetic activities. Another variation would be to sew plastic on top to make it easy to wipe clean if used for eating. This is something I might do later.

I hope this was helpful. If you have any specific questions along the way I'll do my best to help you out. Happy sewing and last minute traveling!

**Oh and a big thanks to Ohdeedoh and Cafe Mom (and any other kind bloggers) for posting about Little A's desk!

8.13.2009

Move over permanent marker, I now have a new, legit fabric doodle buddy. In the past I've been know to draw on sheets with permanent marker (for little A's first birthday I drew characters on sheets for the children to color in with chalk. It worked really well. When I washed the sheets the chalk came off but the marker stayed, ready for another afternoon of playful coloring). As great as this was, it was time to step it up. That's when I found these babies. Score. My head is spinning with options, ideas, and patterns.I'm not sure what I'll do with this little pattern I'm creating (a table cloth? if I have the stamina...) but what I do know is that I'll have plenty of directed doodle time while on hold. Kenny G, bring it on, because I'm pulling up a chair and staying for a while.(Oh and if you are wondering about the random yellow N, well little A's wooden alphabet was encroaching on my photo shoot so, being the visually obsessed mother that I am, I insisted that he choose letters that color coordinated. Makes perfect sense, right?)

8.06.2009

My talented little sister managed to squeeze in some digital processing between morning sickness, birthdays and the usual busy mom schedule so that I could show you all the rest of these photos she took of our little family. Thanks LJ!

8.05.2009

On Monday we celebrated Jon's birthday. We started the day off with blueberry spice muffins, bacon and eggs and then proceeded on to gifts. Little A was very excited about this. I asked him what he wanted to give daddy and he said, "A big box! and then we can say Happy Birthday!"So a big red box it was - complete with finger print cards from the littles (littla A turned his into a monster).I made Jon a custom Shakespeare poster cataloging the Shakespeare roles Jon has played as well as a few famous Shakespeare quotes. After a wonderful morning we drove up the coast and found ourselves in Santa Barbara. What a marvelous day it was. Thanks Jon for having a birthday and for sharing it with us!